The Digital Silk Way project, including the Trans-Caspian fiber corridor, is emerging as a centerpiece of the strategy to strengthen Eurasian connectivity and drive sustainable development.
At a joint meeting of the United Nations General Assembly’s Second Committee and the Economic and Social Council this week, Husniyya Mammadova, counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the U.N., said the initiative illustrates how investment across digital and energy sectors can accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The ‘Digital Silk Way,’ including the Trans-Caspian fiber corridor, is strengthening Eurasian connectivity. This combination of systemic investments across energy and ICT creates powerful multiplier effects across the SDGs,” Mammadova said.
She noted that Azerbaijan’s experience has shown that project-based interventions are no longer sufficient, adding that what is truly needed is “financing for systems – capital strategically orchestrated to deliver structural transformation and long-term resilience.”
Initiated by NEQSOL Holding and implemented through its subsidiary AzerTelecom, the “Digital Silk Way” is a large-scale digital infrastructure project designed to build a high-capacity transit fiber-optic network linking Europe with Central and South Asian markets.
The initiative has already gained international recognition. It was named one of the top five strategic infrastructure projects in Asia at the Global Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum in the United States.
Once completed, the high-speed data transmission lines will establish one of the fastest and most advanced pathways for digital connectivity between Europe and Asia. The project is expected to play a major role in advancing digitalization across the South Caucasus, Central Asia and South Asia, while also attracting global hyperscalers to the region.
In his address at the 80th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in September, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the great potential for cooperation in digital connectivity.
“Azerbaijan leads the digital transformation initiative through such ambitious projects as the Digital Silk Way. This project includes plans for an advanced fiber-optic cable network under the Caspian Sea, establishing Azerbaijan as a key regional digital hub,” President Aliyev said.
A crucial component of the Digital Silk Way project is the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable Line. The 380-kilometer cable will run along the Caspian seabed between Sumgait, Azerbaijan, and Aktau, Kazakhstan. With a data transmission capacity of up to 400 terabits per second, the system will form a high-speed, low-latency link connecting Europe and Asia. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
The Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable Line project is being implemented by AzerTelecom, a backbone internet provider in Azerbaijan that operates within Azerconnect Group, which is part of NEQSOL Holding, in partnership with Kazakhtelecom, Kazakhstan’s national telecommunications operator.
According to Yusif Jabbarov, Chairman of NEQSOL Holding, the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable project not only strengthens digital connectivity and technological advancement across the region but also contributes to regional economic cooperation.
“This project is a key component of NEQSOL Holding’s strategic Digital Silk Way initiative, aimed at building a sustainable digital future for the region. To achieve this, we are implementing cutting-edge, internationally recognized solutions to usher in a new era of faster, more reliable, and high-quality connectivity between Asia and Europe,” said Yusif Jabbarov.
Earlier this year, the project achieved a new milestone with the completion of the Desktop Study – a comprehensive pre-engineering analysis of the marine environment and potential cable routes. The study, conducted by AzerTelecom and its partner Kazakhtelecom, marks a key step toward the upcoming submarine installation phase.
According to the companies, the final report includes detailed assessments of marine charts, seabed conditions, environmental factors and potential route hazards. The findings will guide the next stages of development, including the detailed marine survey and engineering of the cable route.